Don Amero takes audiences home for Christmas

Don Amero takes audiences home for Christmas

The Christmas season is one of Amero’s favourite times of the year. For the reflective Winnipegger, the season allows him to slow things down and allow the memories of his childhood and connecting with his family rush back to him.

When rising Canadian country music star Don Amero thinks of the season, he is brought back to all of the senses of the season — the decorations, the meals, the music. They all add up to being together with his family.

These are the emotions he hopes to impart on the audience with Amero Little Christmas at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Dec. 1.

He will be joined by a band on tour for the first time with this Christmas production that will pull atmosphere from holiday variety shows like Michael Bublé’s Christmas Special and the Huron Carol, while mixing together new and traditional music.

“I’ve been joking it’s the trinity of Christmas, it’s kind of the perfect mix, it’s Santa, Jesus and Don,” said Amero with a laugh.

The Christmas season is one of Amero’s favourite times of the year. For the reflective Winnipegger, the season allows him to slow things down and allow the memories of his childhood and connecting with his family rush back to him.

Key to that is the music.

“My favourite thing as an artist is connecting with people and I think the Christmas season itself, peoples hearts are a little more softened and open to that idea of connection,” he said. “It just goes well with my spirit. People are really drawn to that and the music is nostalgic for so many for that same reason.”

Amero has been performing this Christmas special through the Prairies for several years, but mostly as a three-piece arrangement through rural Manitoba. This is the first time the show has expanded to a full band and production. He will be joined by four talented Brandon, Man., musicians Dylan MacDonald, John Baron, Cody Iwasiuk and Liam Duncan.

“It’s a group of guys that’s a little bit younger than me, so they’ll be keeping me in shape, keep me going,” he said.

Still, the show will be all about the music.

Where some people angrily flee Christmas carols starting in November, Amero enthusiastically runs to it. Keeping things tolerable for the group is they play their favourite songs, but there will be a little something for everyone. There will be some traditional carols, some faith-based songs, some from off the beaten path, and some of their own originals.

“You keep it fresh every night in terms of having great players, there’s a great camaraderie on stage,” said Amero. “There’s never a feeling of oh, we have to do this one again, it feels fresh.”

When Amero looks back on 2018, it will be looked upon as a pivotal year.

He has twice been nominated for Juno Awards for Aboriginal Artist of the year and picked up a third for Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year for his 2015 album Refined. This year, however, he changed gears and made the jump full-time into country music. He recently toured with Canadian Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year Brett Kissel and last week he cleaned up at the Manitoba Country Music Awards with trophies for Male Artist of the Year, the Aboriginal Country Music Award, and Music Video of the Year for his single “Church.”

It wasn’t a drastic change for Amero to country, for him it was a natural evolution of his career from more of a traditional, bluesy, rootsy sound. So natural that his first country album was named Evolution.

“I’ve always said that in this career of music, every year has gotten better than the last, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve made more money this year or that I’ve had some grandiose award, it’s just in terms of the development of my career, it’s always getting better and better,” he said. “I use December and early January as some reflection time. I already know I will be looking back on 2018 with pleasure, and really excited about the year ahead as well.”

Amero Little Christmas goes Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Horizon Stage. Tickets available at the box office at www.horizonstage.com